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EPL Trophy returns home after GTA tour love-in

More than $30,000 raised for charity during English Premiership trophy’s first visit to Canada.

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Diehard Manchester City F.C. fan Daniel Reynolds loves his team so much, he brought the club's 2012 English Premiership trophy to Toronto for a week-long tour — its first trip to Canada.(Rene Johnston/Toronto Star)

The English Premier League Trophy returns home from Toronto on Monday, just hours ahead of the 165th renewal of the Manchester derby.

Even if United moves closer to securing its record 20th league crown with a defeat of City, Dan Reynolds and his buddies will still be basking in the glow of a week spent parading the sterling silver trophy around the GTA.

“Everybody knows nothing is forever,” said Reynolds, 39, chairman of the Manchester City FC Supporters Club Toronto, which arranged for the club to bring the trophy here in celebration of last season’s first title in 44 years.

“Whether it was the championship or the trophy visit, we knew it was going to come to an end. But it’s been a really, really special moment. The club has shown us a level of respect that should serve as a lesson to all organizations about how they should treat their fans.”

Reynolds estimated 10,000 people saw the trophy during this first visit to Canada. More than $30,000 was raised for charity as individuals and youth soccer teams had their picture taken with it at events across the GTA.

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Manchester City won the 2012 EPL title in one of the most dramatic final weekends ever. The Blues scored two goals in second-half stoppage time against Queens Park Rangers, denying United the trophy in the process.

Paul Lake, a former City captain who is an ambassador with their charity arm, contacted Reynolds to see if his group would be up for a visit from the trophy, which must be returned later in April to award to the 2013 champs.

“We’ve been in the shadow of our neighbours for so many years and our fans have stuck with us,” Lake said of the trophy visit, which has been made to more than half of the 156 supporters’ groups around the world, including the United States, across Europe, Malta and the United Arab Emirates.

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